


The Emerald and the Panther

by AmayaNoCho



Series: The Emerald and the Panther [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Blood and Injury, Depression, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Gangs, Gun Violence, Guns, Hospitalization, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Knifeplay, Minor Character Death, Pregnancy, Rain, Shooting Guns, Suicide Attempt, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-03 01:55:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 18,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4082218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmayaNoCho/pseuds/AmayaNoCho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last thing he thought he would ever do is care about another life. The last thing she thought she would ever do is care about her own life. </p><p>As a gang leader, it was no surprise Grimmjow would think this. The only thing he usually cared about was his territory, not someone's life. People losing that was normal in this path of life.<br/>Ulquiorra, the last child left of her parents', wishes only to see her siblings again and leave the psychological pain that her household has become. </p><p>When Ulquiorra lands herself in the hospital and draws the wrong type of attention, however, it seems both of them have their thoughts proven otherwise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.  
> I wrote this fanfiction, however.

"Piece a trash," he spoke with disgust, "actually thinkin' he an' his sorry excuses could _actually_ take us on." A couple of the guys following the blue-haired male snickered. "Hope they all learned a lesson 'bout thinkin' like _that_ today!" 

Grimmjow Jeagerjaques proudly leads his own gang and runs all the streets of this town. Rival gangs are only those who owned turf bordering the town and tried to challenge him to claim a piece of it. Those who once led gangs who owned anything in this town were either long gone or disbanded and joined the crowd of people who live their lives in the manner of which society approved and encouraged. Even with as many as the Panteras had recruited, however, the bold leader was rarely ever with any of the gang's members except for his most loyal five, the same guys who were now walking behind him loyally. 

As they returned to their base, an abandoned old shed that was quite large and may have once been for holding large crates or machinery, they were greeted by the members of Panteras who were currently there. "How'd it go, Boss?" Grimmjow grinned proudly at this question.  
"What, you thinkin' it was actually _possible_ for us t' lose? Wiped the streets with 'em!" Cheers roared out at this boasting report from their leader. "Now, I'm headin' out for a bit. When the border guys return, direct 'em to Di Roy here." The mentioned male smirked.  
"I'll make sure ya know if anythin's outta the ord'nary, Boss."  
"Good."

* * *

As she washed the dishes tediously in the small kitchen, she did her best not to listen to the shouts erupting from the living room.  
"You're useless!" She instinctively shut her emerald eyes tightly, stopping completely.  
"Stop!" She felt a chill go through her small body as she forced herself to silently continue the task before her.  
"I do all the work," The male voice barked, "I go to that _damned_ job _every day_ , work _every day_ , while all you do's sit around at home an' waste away that money!"  
"I do not!" The woman's voice was filled with rage and lightly touched with fear. "I've told you countless times now, it isn't my fault I lost my job in the first place!" 

Ulquiorra paused as she brought a knife out from the soapy water, staring at not her reflection in it, but at the blade itself. Her family was chaotic, broken, and beyond repair. She had an older brother, but he died in a car accident. She had a younger sister, but she had drowned. Her mother was once employed, but she lost her job when the economy went downhill and her place of employment had to cut people because of the tightened budget. Her father was once a pleasant man to be around, but then he had to take on a second job, which happens to be a job he absolutely despises, the same job he was now cursing, and has been considering a third job due to the expenses they were still suffering, what with two funerals to accompany the usual bills. 

Ulquiorra was also without a job, just like her mother, despite being twenty. With moving and how hard it was to find a job, the two women in the house were struggling to even find a job. "Oh, of _course_ it wasn't your fault!" The venom in his voice scared her, bringing about the image of his angered face into her thoughts once again. "Of _course_ you being cut and those others _not_ being cut had _nothin'_ t' do with you! I mean, it isn't like you could've done better or _somethin'_ t' have 'em think you're still worth payin'!"  
"I was doing my best, and you know it!"  
"Oh? You put in any overtime?" Ulquiorra gently traced the blade of the knife with her finger, watching the crimson trail down her finger. "You work any late shifts? You take any shifts from anyone who wasn't gonna be there for theirs, an' a good number of 'em, or just a few?" Her siblings were in a better place now, they all said. Her siblings were in a happier place now, they all said. Why couldn't she be, too? 

"You know damned well I couldn't!" Ulquiorra glanced toward the living room curiously. They all know why. She was juggling work and mothering at that time, something that had already taken away her free time. To add more time to work would have surely driven her to her limit.  
"Yeah, right!" He had become unreasonably angry since the second death. While her mother was now suffering the blunt of it, Ulquiorra knew her turn would come once he either ran out of things to blame her mother for or was finally at a loss in their argument. "One o' those friends of yours could've watched the kids, too, ya know! Hell, we coulda sent 'em to your parents' place 'til they were old enough to take care of themselves while home without us!"  
"That's _absurd_ , and you know it!" Her mother's parents were all the way in Japan, across a whole ocean from here. "They'd have to learn a whole new language, would have to take a plane to get there, and my parents don't even speak English!" Her mother had learned English while she was in college and had left Japan to marry her father. 

"They could learn, ya know!"  
"Baka! Eigo wa muzukashi!"  
"Don't start speaking Japanese on me, woman!"  
"Then don't expect me to force English onto my parents to satisfy you!" Before her mother could act, her father left the living room, entering the kitchen to find his daughter, scared and nervous at the sink. It seemed he had lost this round.  
"An' just look at you," he barked, "standin' there like yer expectin' the dishes to wash themselves! You're just as useless as your mother, if not worse!" Startled, Ulquiorra jumped a bit, causing her to end up cutting her hand she had recently cut a finger of. Not noticing this, her father stormed toward her, causing the brunette to step back, but no further due to how swiftly he covered the distance. His firm, strong hand went straight across her face, leading to her falling from the force. 

"Ulquiorra!" At her mother's concerned shout from the living room, her father seemed to stop suddenly, looking down now at his daughter. A searing pain was ripping at her as Ulquiorra laid there, leading to her clenching her fists tightly as she looked at her now-bleeding leg, the knife she once held stabbed deeply into it. "Oh my god..!" Ulquiorra's eyes widened at the sight, yet no sound escaped her black lips. This had never happened before.  
"Oh God, Ulquiorra!" Her father bent down beside her, seeming confused and without any idea as to what to do. When his eyes landed on her bloodied hand, he quickly got it into his own. "No, no!" 

"I'll call an ambulance," her mother's voice spoke quickly, "but you had better not hurt her further while I'm doing so, or so _help_ me!"  
"I didn't mean to..." His words were muttered as her mother went to get a phone. "Ulquiorra, I'm so sorry..." She felt somewhat numb now as she stared at her hand that he was trying desperately to stop the bleeding of.  
"No." He was surprised when she spoke. "I... I want to see them again." Her voice sounded dead, her tone unchanging. "I want to see them again."  
I want out of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Baka! Eigo wa muzukashi!" is "Idiot! English is difficult!" in Romanji in Japanese.


	2. Chapter 2

As the gang leader walked, he picked up on the familiar sound of an ambulance siren nearby. Frowning, he started making his way in that direction now, curious to see whether or not this was anything involving an intruding gang. If it was, Grimmjow was going to make sure someone paid for it. 

The ambulance came to a stop in front of a normal-looking two-floor building that had a garage and two cars in front of it. As he watched from the sidewalk across the street, he remained still as people came out of their homes to see what was going on. It was rare, after all, for a siren to be blaring around this part of town, as far as anyone was concerned; gang fights remained now on the borders while the more elderly tended to live elsewhere. 

A woman with long black hair and eyes like emeralds was swift to open the front door of the house. "Hurry," she begged, tears trailing down her pale face, "please! My daughter-!" As the men in their white uniforms hurried past her, she left the door open and followed them, clearly worried about whoever was about to be brought out on that stretcher they carried in. From what he heard, Grimmjow was sure it was her daughter. Was she going into labor, maybe? Fell down the stairs? Was she seizing?   
One of the uniformed men came out of the house to grab a first-aid kit from the ambulance. Well, Grimmjow thought, that rules out pregnant. 

He and everyone around him were shocked to see what happened next. The two uniformed men didn't leave with the mentioned daughter on the stretcher, but were instead each with one of her arms around their shoulders and carrying her that way while she seemed to be weakly struggling against them. Her right hand was bleeding profusely onto that man's shoulder while her left leg had a small crimson river running down it from a nasty-looking wound, which Grimmjow was able to easily recognize as a stab wound, and a deep one at that.   
Her hair was only shoulder-length and matched her mother's in color, her skin fair, she was short and wearing a knee-length black skirt with a short-sleeved shirt of the same color, and her eyes were like her mother's, too. "Let go..!" Grimmjow couldn't hear everything that was being said, wishing now that he could read lips, but he was definitely shocked by the very first two words that escaped her black lips when they exited her house. "...Don't want help! Leave me..!...Wasting your time..!" 

"Poor dear," he heard a nearby woman whisper, "it really all must have been getting to her... She's such a quiet one, though..." Grimmjow looked at her now.   
"What must've been gettin' t' her?" The woman looked at him with a worried expression.   
"Why, you must not live near here, now, do you?" Grimmjow shook his head. This street was one he usually left to another to watch over for possible intruders, what with how inward it is and how tame things usually are here. "Her parents argue like two dogs over a bone when they're both home," she explained, "ever since the three of them moved here. I heard they moved due to some sort of accident, but no one's sure what happened or why."   
"Sounds normal t' me," Grimmjow replied with a shrug, "knowin' how people who live together argue." 

"Yes, it would sound normal," she admitted, "if you hadn't been around for any of the arguments, but they tend to be about so many different things, some of which sound like there's something wrong in there. Not only that, but the daughter's the only one who seems to end up hurt over there, and I mean physically." Taking this into account, Grimmjow looked back at the struggling girl to notice a new-looking bruise across her left cheek. "If they were just arguments, surely no one would be hurt? If anyone, surely the one not involved wouldn't be?"   
When they got her into the back, the third man who was in there and at the ready was quick to assist the other two in getting her in. Why was she the one who got hurt when she wasn't one of the ones involved? Why wouldn't she want their help? Did she really hate life so much? Did it really suck so badly for her? "Neither of the parents ever hurt?" 

"No, not a scratch that anyone can see." While everyone else was focused on the ambulance, Grimmjow focused now on the doorway where the mother was now standing. Her daughter was considerably pale, he noted, while her mother's skin was more of a normal sort of pale. Probably from blood loss, he decided, or something. When a man with black hair and a good height to him stepped into view and seemed to try to put an arm around the woman, she smacked it away and snapped on him, but no one else could hear her words due to the ambulance sirens blaring out again as it drove off toward the hospital. This man was well built and looked to have some muscle to him, plus a light tan.   
Grimmjow already didn't like the guy.


	3. Chapter 3

"What caused your injuries?" The woman doctor seemed quite motherly in her manner as she spoke to Ulquiorra gently. Ulquiorra only stared up at the ceiling while listening to the machine that was tracking her heartbeat. She now had an IV due to how much blood she had lost, plus her right hand and left leg were wrapped, which had to be redone several times already. The bruise on her left cheek was a deep, dark purple with some black to it now. "I was informed that you tried to refuse care," she continued after a moment.  
Ulquiorra remained unresponsive to her. "Your parents have been informed that you are well and stable again."  
No response. "They were told when they came to see you earlier, while you were still unconscious."  
Still nothing. "You know, it is about time for dinner... Would you like anything? After all the blood you lost today, it would be best to get something into your system." When Ulquiorra remained silent, the woman doctor stood herself up from the chair she was sitting in. "I shall go and get you something for dinner." As she left, she couldn't help but notice a male with blue hair standing near the door. 

"She awake yet, doc?"  
"Unohana," she stated, "and yes, she is, but she appears to be unresponsive, at least speech-wise, currently." As the doctor left, Grimmjow rubbed at the back of his neck. Why am I even here? Why do I give a damn? He lived to rule his territory and kick other gangs' asses, not this. Don't even know the girl's name! 

_"Ulquiorra."_

Grimmjow frowned. Wait, had they met before..? She did strongly resemble this one girl he met at a restaurant... 

_"So, Ulquiorra, why ya sittin' alone here? Surely ya coulda had someone come with ya?"_  
_"I'm fine alone." The girl glanced away from him, her long black hair flowing gently with the motion. Her eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, and her jacket, jeans, and boots hid any skin from showing that wasn't her face._  
_"Yeah, right."_

As he opened the door, he looked in at the girl. She really did seem like she couldn't care less that he was there, not even looking away from the ceiling for a second. "Ulquiorra?" He knew he was pretty much taking a shot in the dark here, but it was worth a try. "Hey, chic, that even your name?" Grimmjow walked in and sat down by her. "Hey!" When no response came, he stood up and put a hand over her eyes.  
"What-?"  
"Hey, look! Ya ain't mute!" She got his hand and lowered it before looking at him.  
"Clearly." She didn't seem amused by his joke. "Who are you, anyway?"  
"First, you're Ulquiorra, right?" She seemed surprised by this.  
"Yes. Didn't a doctor tell you that?" Surely that was how he already knew it?  
"Nope." He smirked. "Pretty sure that name's rare enough that I can safely say that we've definitely met before." It didn't seem to dawn on her who this man is.  
"When?" He sighed. 

"Right, hold on a sec." He reached into his jacket pocket and proceeded to place his sunglasses on her. "You were wearin' shades," he explained, "an' you were dressed ready for cold weather when it was summer, an' sittin' in a restaurant." She remembered it now, but she wasn't happy doing so.  
"Please, do not try to get attached to me in any way."  
"Aw, c'mon now! Why not, huh?" He grinned. "Ya know, I never did get an answer 'bout why you were there alone."  
"It was four years ago," she replied, looking away from him while removing the sunglasses. "That doesn't matter now."  
"The way you're avoidin' answerin' it, it seems like it's somethin' that matters." She held his sunglasses out to him without looking. 

"Please leave. Now."  
"Aw, c'mon!"  
"Now. I am not afraid to request your removal." Grimmjow smirked.  
"Really, now? Cuz the nurse bu'n's lyin' in a spot that's good for either of us to snatch it up, an' I'm sure I'll be the one to win that race, especially since your hand on this side's wrapped up like that."  
"Doesn't mean I can't press a simple button."  
"Just tell me why you were there an' I'll leave." At least for today, he mused to himself. "Plus, might hurt ya if we go for the bu'n option." 

"If that would get you out, a little pain is fine by me." Ouch. Grimmjow frowned.  
"Have somethin' t' do with yer parents?" Ulquiorra was quick to look at him now, shock and pain in her emerald eyes.  
"Why would it involve them?" Her voice had a light tremble to it now.  
"Was told they argue a lot, so thought maybe you were avoidin' 'em."  
"I do not leave the house simply because they are arguing!"  
"Then why, huh? Out lookin' fer a date?" 

"No!" He was unsure of how upset she suddenly sounded. It wasn't like he had hit her or anything. "You wouldn't understand! No one would!" Tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes now.  
"Oh, really now?" When her right arm lifted, Grimmjow thought she was about to reach for the button, but she instead took a tight hold of the metal bar on that side of the bed. The machine was definitely giving away that the girl's emotions were definitely getting her now. "Hey, ya know that ain't-"  
"My family had just moved here that day," she said with some struggle, "because my seven-year-old sister drowned in the pond of our prior home, and I wanted to follow her!" His eyes widened while a new, unfamiliar pain pricked at him inside.


	4. Chapter 4

It was no surprise that Grimmjow had been swiftly kicked out by the nurses who had rushed in due to the machine tracking her heart rate. 

_"...my seven-year-old sister drowned in the pond of our prior home..!"_

Grimmjow wasn't sure why his mind kept resurfacing her words like this. 

_"...and I wanted to follow her!"_

Why did it bother him so much? As he returned to the base, he was greeted by cheerful hollering from the present gang members. At this, he did his best to disregard what happened in the hospital and gave them a proud grin. "Somethin' good happen while I was gone, or are you all really that glad t' see me?"   
"You were gone longer than you normally are," Shawlong replied, "and we were unsure of if something happened to you."   
"Just got a li'l distracted, nothing bad." He shrugged. "So, Di Roy, news on the borders?" Di Roy smirked. 

"Nothin' bad. Seems the gangs near 'em know better than to mess with ya, Boss."   
"Good!" Yes, this is him, ready to fight to protect his territory and ruling over it proudly.   
Worrying over that girl just wasn't him.


	5. Chapter 5

Grimmjow wasn't sure where he was now, standing behind an unfamiliar house in the backyard of whoever owned the place, if anyone. As he looked around, he spotted Ulquiorra, her small figure standing with her back to him. Her hair was long again, just like when he first met her at the restaurant in town, but she was wearing a green summer dress and was barefoot. As the wind blew, her hair whipped around freely while the dress moved slightly with it. "Ulquiorra?" As she looked over her shoulder at him, and for the first time he had ever seen, her emerald eyes were bright and happy, and her lips were bare of their usual black lipstick. He felt his breath catch in his throat. 

"I didn't expect to see you here, stranger." He smirked.   
"Ya know I ain't a stranger to you," he mused. "We've met before, after all."   
"You have yet to tell me your name, stranger." Her smile was gorgeous.   
"Well, before I do that, where are we?" She got a hand to her mouth to cover a giggle.   
"Silly, we're in my backyard. Should know where you are, stranger." 

"Wait, but this looks nothing like your house!" He didn't recognize the building behind him at all, and he was sure he didn't completely forget how her placed looked after what happened.   
Wait, she should be in the hospital right now! "But it is, stranger." She looked down at the ground before her. "Here's the pond," she said, "see?" He felt horror's hand take hold of him as he remembered what she had told him.   
"Ulquiorra, where's your sister?" After he asked this, he heard thunder off in the distance, causing him to look up to see the sky becoming blanketed with storm clouds. "Ya know, maybe we should go inside-" 

"I want to be with her." When he looked back at her, her right hand and left leg were suddenly wrapped, just as she had them when he had visited her in the hospital.   
"No, Ulquiorra!" He ran toward her, hoping to stop her before it was too late. "Don't!" Just before he could grab her arm, it was too late; she had let herself fall into the pond, slowly sinking downward. " _No!_ " Grimmjow reached in after her, grabbing her arm with one hand while holding the edge with the other. When he got her out, however, it wasn't her anymore, but a smaller girl who looked exactly like her. "Ulqui-?"   
"Nope!" The small girl smiled at him. "She's gone, silly!" The way she said it, she sounded as if she had just told a joke.   
"What? But I... I was just holding her!"   
"Yes, you were."   
"Then who-?" 

"Ulquiorra is gone." Her voice was stern now, and her expression was dark, matching the storm thundering out above them. "Her life was mine, stranger. It always was. My death meant she should go down, too. She gave her life to give me, as was to be."   
"You little bitch!" When he tried to grab her, she jumped out of the way while laughing maniacally. "Give her back!"

* * *

"Boss?" Grimmjow woke with a jolt, sitting upright quickly and startling Di Roy, causing him to fall back and onto his ass. "Woah, you a'right?" Nightmare. That's what that was, he thought, relieved, a nightmare.   
"Am now," he replied, giving a laugh. "Were ya tryin' t' wake me up for somethin'?"   
"Just wantin' ya awake before noon," he replied with a shrug, "since yer usually up hours before now."


	6. Chapter 6

"How are you this morning?" Unohana watched as the young woman didn't eat any of the breakfast she had brought her. To her dismay, the girl hadn't eaten any of the dinner she had brought her last night, either, yet Unohana hadn't seen any allergies or eating concerns in her medical records that they currently had. "You really should eat, Ulquiorra. It is unhealthy to go without like this, especially after what happened yesterday." 

After that man with the blue hair had gotten her worked up last night, it seemed she had quite a bit to say, stating that she wasn't hungry and that she wanted to leave and have the IV removed. Unohana was a bit concerned when she recalled that not once was she pleading to go home, but simply stating that she wanted to leave. Most people would have specified that they wanted to return home or be with someone who was home, such as small children who would want to be with their mother. 

Unohana was beginning to think that the only way to get the girl to even make a sound was to get that man back here, but she didn't even know his name to begin the search. "If you do not eat on your own, Ulquiorra, then because you are posing a threat to your own health and are under this hospital's roof, we can force feed you if we must." With no response from Ulquiorra, Unohana stood herself up and left the room, making her way now to the front desk of the hospital, going down a few stairs to get there, since Ulquiorra was currently roomed on the fourth floor. 

"Have things improved at all with her, Lady Unohana?" She slowly shook her head in response to the desk girl's question.   
"No, it seems otherwise. I came down here to ask about the cameras' recordings of last night, however, not to discuss the patient herself."   
"The cameras' recordings?" Unohana nodded.   
"A man came to see her last night," she explained, "and left her with quite a lot to say. I was unable to get his name, having not expected such a thing to occur, but I do know what he looks like." If she could spot him on a recording, then they could request that a few people go search for him based on the recording.   
"I shall call security and make a request for you, Lady Unohana."   
"Thank you. Let them know it is an urgent matter," she added, "as the girl is still unwilling to cooperate in any way and is threatening her own welfare because of it."


	7. Chapter 7

As Grimmjow walked down a street, he couldn't help but recall what that woman had told him while they were watching Ulquiorra being taken away in an ambulance. 

_"Her parents argue like two dogs over a bone when they're both home, ever since the three of them moved here. I heard they moved due to some sort of accident, but no one's sure what happened or why."_

He was sure he knew the reason they moved now. 

_"Yes, it would sound normal, if you hadn't been around for any of the arguments, but they tend to be about so many different things, some of which sound like there's something wrong in there... the daughter's the only one who seems to end up hurt over there... physically. If they were just arguments, surely no one would be hurt? If anyone, surely the one not involved wouldn't be?"_

This was still a mystery, however. If they were arguing over multiple things, then it couldn't possibly all revolve around a single child's death? As he considered this, he suddenly realized that he had unknowingly walked to her house. Her mother was sitting on the steps looking like she had just been told Ulquiorra was dead, she looked so upset. One of the cars was gone, which led Grimmjow to assume the man he had seen yesterday wasn't home right now. "Excuse me," he spoke as he walked to the woman, "but, uh, I saw what happened yesterday. Sorry 'bout that." The woman looked up at him before giving a small, weak smile. 

"Thank you for your concern," she replied. Grimmjow sat himself down in front of the stairs and toward the right so as not to be directly in front of her.   
"You holdin' a'right?"   
"I believe so, though I wish now that I had a job." She gave a bitter smirk. "Would make it easier to not think of my daughter being in the hospital all day."   
"She's holdin'," he assured her. "I went an' saw her yesterday."   
"You did?" She sounded somewhat more hopeful now. "Was she awake when you did? When my husband and I went to see her, she was still unconscious, but they told us that she was stable and would be alright." 

"Yeah, she was awake." He was far from telling her about how dead she seemed even then. Well, until he worked her up. "Maybe you could see her t'day? Bet you could catch her while she's awake." The woman gave a hopeful nod while standing herself up now.   
"Yes, you're right! I could try seeing her now, see if Ulquiorra's awake yet!" Grimmjow smirked at her excitement.   
"Good t' hear! We'll be walkin', however." This seemed to confuse her. "No worries," he assured her, "I know a shortcut there, but a car wouldn't be able t' go that route." Legally. "I wouldn't walk there alone if I were you, but I'm here, so no worries!"


	8. Chapter 8

_"Sis, look! There's a frog in the pond!"_  
_"It seems so. Not sure I would have seen it if you hadn't pointed it out for me, Asako."_  
_"Sis, look! A dragonfly!"_  
_"Pretty, isn't it?"_  
_"It is, it is!" The small girl laughed, her blue eyes sparkling in the light of the sun and with the strong joy she felt. One glance away, mere seconds of not looking at the child, and she tripped and went into the water, causing a small splash._  
_"Asako? Asako!"_

Ulquiorra's eyes shot open, her pulse deafening as she looked around the room, confused and lost before remembering her current position. She was no longer sixteen again, but twenty, and she was no longer with a younger sister, but was without one. All because she looked away. Ulquiorra was quick to remove all of the wires from herself before going into the bathroom quickly, refusing to bother anyone to assist her there.  
As she sat in a corner in there, her arms wrapped around her as she tried to calm herself, she was forced to close her eyes due to the dizziness that she was starting to feel from all that sudden movement, her lack of food, and her added recent loss of blood yesterday. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she remembered that day, that innocent little girl who had a future to make still, and that she was at fault for it, yet no one blamed her. At least not out loud. "Asako..." She gripped at her upper arms tightly before pressing her back against the wall behind herself. "Imoto-chan... Sumimasen..." 

"Ulquiorra?" The man now in the room sounded concerned, having just entered the room to see why the machine was simply holding a note instead of making its usual beeps.  
"The bathroom door wasn't shut when I left." Unohana. "She's probably in the bathroom. I'll get a key for it."  
"I'll go wait on your request, then, Lady Unohana."  
"Thank you." After they both left, Ulquiorra did her best to take deep breaths to try to relax, hoping not to be seen in such an emotional state again. 

"Ulquiorra?" He eyes shot open. That blue-haired guy from last night... Why? "Hey, ya in there?" A knock came on the bathroom door. "Ya plan on comin' out soon?"  
"Leave." Her voice gave away that she had been crying, but she didn't care at this point. "I shall leave when I feel like doing so."  
"Fine then, looks like we're doin' this the hard way." She looked toward the bathroom door, confused.  
"What are you talking about?" She could hear something inside the door now. Was he seriously picking the lock? "Stop that."  
"Nah, takes too long for someone with a key ring t' find the right one." When the door gave a click, Grimmjow opened it with ease before looking at the girl. "Jeez, ya shoulda stayed in bed! Look like a mess!" 

"Ulquiorra?" When she heard her mother, she tried to stand, but instead nearly fell, having Grimmjow suddenly catch her to prevent it. "Is she alright?"  
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Grimmjow carried her over to the bed and carefully put her back on it. "Ya still conscious?"  
"Yes..."  
"Good t' hear." Grimmjow leaned himself against a wall. "Name's Grimmjow, by the way, since I keep forgetting t' tell ya that." The last thing he was wanting was for her to start addressing him as "stranger" like she had in that nightmare.  
"How have you been so far, Ulquiorra? Have you been eating enough? Getting enough sleep?" Ulquiorra bit at her bottom lip.  
"I have been fine, Mom. Please, don't worry." She wasn't about to mention the new pain in her leg from walking what little she did to get herself into the bathroom, plus her attempt to stand before Grimmjow caught her.  
"You know I can't help it." She gave her daughter a gentle smile. Grimmjow couldn't help but remember her reaction to the man's attempt to comfort her yesterday, how she had seemed so furious at him about something to a point that it seemed she didn't even want him to touch her. 

"They tell ya when you can leave yet? I'm sure I'm not the only one here wanting to know." Ulquiorra shook her head slowly.  
"I have not been told that," she replied, "but I'm sure they'll say when soon enough."  
"Hope so." Grimmjow was quick to get his cell phone out when he felt it vibrate, opening it to see a text from Yylfordt. 

**11:13am**  
Boss, t on Sb. 

To anyone else, this might just seem like nonsense, but it was how they texted one another just in case one might end up with someone peeking over their shoulder. the "t" is trouble, and the "Sb" means South border. "Looks like I gotta leave," Grimmjow said with a frown. "Someone's wantin' me t' come over an' help them with somethin'. Guess I'll come by again later."  
"Thank you so much for coming with me," Ulquiorra's mother said with a smile. Had she not been there, Ulquiorra was sure to have made a remark about not wanting him to return later, or ever, but he still would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Imoto-chan... Sumimasen..." is "Younger sister... I'm sorry..." in Romanji in Japanese.


	9. Chapter 9

"Who's gettin' the bad idea on our South border?"  
"It appears to be the Tiburón, Boss." Grimmjow frowned. This group was an all-women gang, including their leader, Harribel. Because she's silent, calm, and smart, the two gangs had not had trouble in several years, mostly due to how many had suffered on both sides due to their last and prior war. She took in all types of women, but especially those who seemed in need of her protection and guidance, such as the women who were homeless or with someone after them. Panteras contains both men and women, but mostly men due to the charisma and quick actions of the blonde dark-skinned leader of the Tiburón. 

Both the Panteras and Tiburón are well-sized and fierce, both having good-sized territory and having run most of their in-town competitors off, with Grimmjow having his whole town to himself while Harribel was discovered to be allowing one other gang to exist in its small, weak, pitiful state in that town, since it posed no threat to her and her girls. "Of all the borderin' gangs t' act up," Grimmjow muttered, "why them? Ya know what happened over there?" Grimmjow couldn't help that he wasn't wanting another panther-shark fight, especially since that had ended up being more of a draw than a victory. He hated draws or losing. 

"Trespassing," Yylfordt replied, "and while the woman was clearly wearing a Tiburón armband." The Panteras had made it clear that they had no tolerance for trespassing from other gangs or their members while wearing other gangs' symbols.  
"She been taken in?"  
"Yes, and she is waiting for you to interrogate her." He would've said to simply kill her if it weren't for the fact of how much Harribel seemed to care for her members, as odd as that came off to him. Most other gang leaders would've brushed it off as that individual being stupid and doing it to themselves or would've had the individual declare a turf war, if that was the case, before the rest of the gang would come running close after.  
"Good." 

When they reached the border, Grimmjow entered the small one-room building alone. At the table sat a girl with red-streaked blonde hair up in a ponytail and red eyes to match the streaks. "Looks like ya came over here t' my turf," Grimmjow spoke, "while wearin' an armband with yer gang's symbol on it." The black armband with a yellow shark on it was easy to spot on her upper right arm. "I hope ya got a good excuse fer that, else I can't let ya leave here breathin'."  
"Boss sent me t' pick a gal up," she replied, "one we've been watchin' for some time now. Said she needs outta here an' t' be cared fer properly!" Grimmjow frowned. Harribel was known to send single-person groups to recruit girls in other territories, but usually they didn't wear anything to give them away like this, choosing instead to hide it in a bag or something until they reached the girl to be recruited. 

"Doesn't explain you wearin' yer armband," he retorted, "an' Panteras has a rule yer boss knows 'bout when it comes t' outside gangs wearin' their symbol on our turf. Ya shoulda had it in a purse or somethin', not on ya!"  
"She told me t' hurry," the girl barked back, "'cause we dunno how long we got 'til this gal's sent back int' the nasty rut she's been in fer several years! If action isn't taken swiftly, we could miss this chance-!"  
"Why wouldn't ya just follow her back t' this 'nasty rut' an' pick 'er up there? I know Harribel's done it before, recruitin' 'em right outta their own home."  
"Because," she spoke calmly, "the gal's home's more in yer turf's center, but the hospit'l we found out she was moved into's near this borderline! We ain't gotta risk no trouble with ya tha' way, bu' then yer damned border patrol grabbed me an' threw me int' here!" 

"Cuz you're wearin' that armband," he replied bluntly, "and, as I said before, that ain't somethin' we tolerate in our territory." He couldn't help but wonder if it was just coincidence that Ulquiorra was in a hospital near here, was brought there yesterday, and just happened to also live in a more central area of the town. She fit everything this girl had said perfectly.  
"I'll take it off," she suddenly pleaded, "an' I'll keep it in a pocket 'til I gotta speak t' her an' show it t' her! Jus' lemme go, please! I won't ev'n be on yer turf long, not even a whole day, jus' long 'nough t' talk t' her an' see what she says!"  
"Recruitin' this gal really that import'nt to Harribel?" 

"Yes, really import'nt! She's been watchin' this one fer a while now, an' this other large rival gang's been eyein' her, too! If I don't get her fer Boss, then that bastard's gang'll take 'er in, an' he'll use force if he has to!"  
"Who?" Grimmjow didn't like the sound of this. Two well-sized gangs after the same person? What made this girl so special?  
"Aizen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Tiburón" is "shark" in Spanish.   
> "Panteras," as a late note, is "panthers" in Spanish.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'll see you later, dear." Ulquiorra gave a nod as her mother left. Why did her own suffering have to cause her mother so much worry? After she closed her eyes to consider this, she heard the door open not too long after. Probably that doctor again. 

"Good afternoon, Ulquiorra." At the unfamiliar voice, she looked toward the door to see a man with well-kept brown hair and eyes of the same color. "I hope you have been well."  
"Who are you?" She was really not enjoying just how many people had visited her already who knew her while she didn't know them. This was only day two, after all, yet she already had two guys and her mother visit, with the only one she understood why they had visited her being her mother. "If you are without a good reason to be here, then I would like to request that you leave."  
"Oh, but I am here with good reason, Ulquiorra." He gave her a gentle smile. "My name is Sousuke Aizen, and it just so happens that I knew your older brother for a good while before he was lost in that accident." Her emerald eyes widened. 

"You... You knew him?" She wasn't sure what to make of this. "What was his name, then, if you knew him?"  
"His name? Hibiki Cifer. He told me he had two younger sisters," he added, "Ulquiorra and Asako. It is a pity he passed before Asako could truly know him, and even more that she passed four years ago."  
"You knew Hibiki..." She was having a difficult time making sense of this now. They hadn't lived here while he was alive, but in a completely different town, just like after he died and before Asako did. "How?"  
"Your family lived in the same town that I do," he replied, "and I lived there while your family did. He and I met at one of the restaurants there, the same one he became employed at." He walked over to now stand beside the bed and gently place a hand on her shoulder, noticing how upset she seemed to be getting from this. "He was a great man, Ulquiorra, but I must admit that he was possibly an even better brother, recalling how protective over his sisters and how loving of them he was. Was a great friend, too, and employee there." 

"Hibiki..." She bit at her bottom lip.  
"I'm sure he would be quite happy to see how you have turned out, Ulquiorra, but I cannot help but wonder how it is that his dear sister came to be in the hospital?" She looked away, a pang of shame coming over her.  
"Accident..."  
"I don't mean to come off as rude, but I'm thinking that is far from the whole story. You can tell me the whole story, Ulquiorra. I will not tell a soul."  
"Swear?" He smiled as she looked up at him. He seemed so kind, so friendly, like an older brother would. Like Hibiki did.  
"Of course." She looked forward now, clenching at the blanket as she did so. 

"I... I was washing dishes," she began, "and stopped while holding a knife... I was holding it too close to my right hand when Father came in and smacked me, bruising my cheek and surprising me, leading to my right hand being cut. The cut happened before the smack, though, as he surprised me when he shouted at me." Concern seemed to come over the man's expression.  
"Your father hit you? Why would he do such a thing? Surely you had done no wrong?" She could feel the tears at the corners of her eyes now.  
"It is my fault Asako's dead," she whispered, "all my fault. No one will say it, but I know it is. Had I not looked away from her, she would not have fallen into the pond and drowned..."  
"It isn't your fault, Ulquiorra." She looked up at him now as a tear escaped her. "You did not wish for her death, nor did you push her in. You are not at fault for it. Even if you had seen her fall, do you think you could have stopped her?" Before she could reply, he continued to speak. "What you have explained tells me what happened to your hand and cheek, but what of your leg?" She looked down at her left leg now. 

"The force of the blow knocked me over," she admitted, "and I lost my grip of the knife, which ended up in my leg."  
"It sounds as if you are in an unhealthy environment," Aizen commented, "if no one has told you of your innocence in Asako's death and your father is hurting you without reason."  
"But Mother-"  
"Your mother suffers when you do, does she not?" Ulquiorra gave a small nod. "She seems to care about you quite a lot, but you do not want her to feel such pain for you. You love her, but you feel you are not worth her concern, that you are not worth worrying over. It hurts you more to see her worry or in pain than it does for you to be hurt."  
I don't want her to suffer because of me..."  
"Perhaps if you left, you could ease her pain?" She glanced over at him. "Many people say 'out of sight, out of mind', as I'm sure you have heard. If you left, your mother wouldn't have to be upset by your pain, and your parents' arguing would lessen, since you would then not be present to be a topic of discussion for them." 

"How do you know about that?"  
"A friend informed me of your household's current standing," he replied. "You see, Hibiki was like a brother to me, and I have felt the need to try to keep track of you and your family in order to try to prevent anything from happening to you. It was unfortunate that your family moved as swiftly as they did, however, for I was unprepared for that and thus unable to watch over you when Asako died. I wasn't able to track you all down until after it was too late for her, but I wasn't about to make that mistake again when you moved here."  
"Why have you not acted, then? Why have you not helped us?"  
"Because some things cannot be helped, Ulquiorra. A third person would not be able to step in and stop your father's rage, nor would a third person be able to completely wash away the pain left from death. However, a third person could potentially step in and try to ease it, try to better the situation for at least you, Ulquiorra." She felt mesmerized by his words, not even noticing the tears as her emerald eyes focused on the tall male beside her. "I came to offer you a new home, Ulquiorra, and a new life. A better life. One that will indeed require you to leave home, yes, but will lead to your mother's happiness and your life gaining purpose once again." 

"Please..." Her voice was but a whisper.  
"I will return tomorrow," he promised, "to assist you in leaving here and starting your new life. I will understand if you change your mind in the meantime, but I do hope otherwise, for both you and your parents' sake."  
As he left, she couldn't help but wish he would have taken her with him now, not wait until tomorrow. She wanted what he had promised, and she knew her mind wouldn't change.


	11. Chapter 11

Aizen. Grimmjow swiftly made his way into the hospital and began his run up the stairs. That was the one name that could really boil his blood in even his calmest of hours.  
Aizen. That man wasn't with territory directly on any of the Panteras' borders, but, according to the girl from Harribel's gang, he had now gained enough turf that he was on one of _her_ borders and threatening to claim territory of hers, along with every other gang bordering his turf. 

A woman by the name of Gin had the territory between Aizen's and Harribel's at one point, but apparently the two bosses, Aizen and Gin, had a bit of a fling before suddenly ending up in an actual relationship, leading to the merging of their gangs. With his cold, charismatic ways and her tortorous, taunting habits that Grimmjow had only heard of, this sounded not only like a nightmare, but also like something to make Aizen's day. He was even able to talk the once-just Kaname into merging with them, surprising Grimmjow. 

As he passed the second floor, he couldn't help but wonder if he was too late to protect Ulquiorra. Kaname was a good man who led his gang not to gain territory or start fights like most, but to instead protect their territory and its inhabitants from crime and other gangs, like some kind of vigilante group. Aizen probably slipped some lies about saving the world to get him... Grimmjow hated the guy with his whole being. He was, after all, the only person Grimmjow had truly ever lost to in a true one-on-one fight. 

When he made it to the fourth gloor, he was quick to go straight to Ulquiorra's door and swing it open, hoping the other gang leader wouldn't be there when he did. He was somewhat relieved to only see the surprised girl who was still lying in the hospital bed. "Grimmjow, what is going on?"  
"Nothin'," he lied, "just, well..." How was he to explain himself?  
"You normally do not seem so worn when you're here. What's going on?" Hell, may as well spit it out now.  
"'k, I'll tell ya. I was told this guy might come by here an' take ya, but it looks like he didn't, which is good."  
"I am still here," she stated bluntly, "but what of this man you speak of? What is so terrible about the idea of whoever it is taking me?" 

"He's a total bastard," he replied, "manipulatin' people an' lying through his teeth as much as he wants t' get someone to do his dirty work. Guy can't be trusted." He paused for a moment, realizing now that she hadn't asked for his name, nor did she even ask about what the guy looks like. Wouldn't that be a question to ask?  
"I have not had anyone like that come here."  
"Who has?" He walked over to stand by her bed. "Did anyone else come here besides me an' yer mom, Ulquiorra?"  
"That is none of your concern, Grimmjow."  
"Yes, it is!" He grabbed the metal bar on the side of the bed. "This guy's bad news, Ulquiorra! All he's gotta do is know ya an' he'll be straight t' lyin' to you!" 

"Leave, Grimmjow." Her voice was harsh when she spoke.  
"Was he here, Ulquiorra?"  
"If you do not leave now, Grimmjow, then I shall remove this device." He knew she meant the one tracking her heart rate, which would definitely have the staff's attention faster than trying the button.  
" _Fine_ ," he snapped, "but don't go an' do anythin' stupid!" As he left, he couldn't help but wonder why he even cared. She was just another girl, nothing more.  
If she got herself into trouble, it wasn't any skin off his nose.


	12. Chapter 12

"Lovely weather, hm?" The woman's sky-blue eyes watched with amusement as the sky lit up from another flash of lightning. "Perfect day t' leave da hospit'l." She stood across the street from the hospital Ulquiorra was currently in, her black dress lightly blowing in the wind while she combed a hand through her shoulder-length hair. Her long sleeves fit loosely, hanging down from her arms just a bit. 

"Hey, I know you!" Her lips went into an innocent frown of feigned confusion as she turned her head to look at the male now walking toward her. It wasn't surprising to her that he was wearing a black shirt with a blue panther on it, the symbol of this area's gang, the Panteras.   
"I'm sorry, bu' I don't think we've met proper b'fore?"   
"You're Gin," he exclaimed, "leader of the Kitsune! What're you doin' here on our turf, huh? Long way from yers!" Seems he wasn't up to date on other gangs' activities... 

"An' yer point is..?" Her eyes took on a more menacing look. "Ya thinkin' a doin' somethin' 'bout that?" As he came at her, taking a swing with his bat, his target her head, she was quick to duck before lunging at him, a gasp escaping his mouth as he dropped the bat. Blood began to soak through his shirt from the new wound. "Thought so." As she straightened herself, she placed a hand on his shoulder while holding the bloodied pocket knife in her other hand. "Shouldn' assume a gal's sleeves have nothin' but 'er arms in 'em, ya know. Fatal mistake." Before he could speak, she swiftly slit his throat and released his shoulder, watching as he fell back and splashed onto the wet sidewalk. 

"Making a mess already?" She looked over her shoulder at the male who spoke now with a smile.   
"Can't help m'self sometimes, ya know." Aizen put an arm around her slim waist with a lusting smile.   
"The rain will clean it up for us." He held her close as he looked toward the hospital now. "Szayel should have the power off for us in another minute or so."   
"Thank goodness. Don' wanna be standin' out 'ere fer too long waitin'."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Kitsune" is "fox" in Romanji in Japanese.


	13. Chapter 13

"I hate rain." Grimmjow sat by one of the base's windows with an uncomfortable frown, his eyes showing his annoyance quite clearly. "This sucks." He liked to get out, not be cooped up inside all day, but the rain...   
"It'll pass," Yylfordt remarked, "eventually." It was noon now, yet this rain had been going since before any of them had woken up this morning, besides their members who did patrol or border watching. "Perhaps we could try at a board game in the meantime?" Grimmjow gave a "tch" sound to this idea, which they had all come to recognize as his way of pretty much turning something down and then wondering why it was even an idea in the first place, anyway, without saying that all.   
"I'd rather not." He stood himself up. "Jeez, it's gotta stop soon! Been goin' for way too long already!" 

"Could always just use an umbrella-"   
"Yeah, go out in that with an umbrella! An umbrella's totally gonna fix it all, like I ain't walkin' 'round with water everywhere 'round me!" The sarcasm was strong in Grimmjow's voice when he spoke. "Ya know how I feel 'bout that, Yylfordt!"   
"Just saying." The blonde male wasn't at all a fan of when Grimmjow felt the need to lock himself up inside just to avoid the rain. He was always more on edge when it rained, along with irritable, making him hard to tolerate. He refused to use an umbrella, plus he wasn't a fan of board games or most indoor activities. Yylfordt couldn't blame those who had purposely left to do things outside of the base in order to avoid this. 

Usually it was when he finally decided to nap that everyone could relax, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen too soon. "C'mon, dammit!" Grimmjow had his hands in his jean pockets as he glared out a window, as if that would do anything. "Don't tell me this is gonna last all day!" As he gave one of his irritated growls, Di Roy stepped quickly into the base, his short hair wet while he was without the umbrella he had left with.   
"Is something wrong, Di Roy?" Yylfordt didn't like the look in the other's eyes. Hearing this question, Grimmjow now also looked at the wet male with curiosity. 

"S-Someone killed 'im," he said quickly, "one of our guys near the South border!"   
"What!?" Grimmjow was quick to make his way to Di Roy, his blue eyes gaining a flash of anger at this. "Who!? Where!?"   
"We dunno who killed 'im," he replied quickly, "but his body was just outside that one hospital near there, an' he definitely had been dead a while, cuz he wasn't fresh dead. Thinkin' he was killed this mornin', real early." Grimmjow's eyes widened at this. To both Di Roy and Yylfordt's surprise, Grimmjow quickly swiped up an umbrella and got his tennis shoes on.   
"Boss?" He was usually the last one to expect to run out over a single death. 

"He's got her." The other two seemed confused now. "Harribel an' Aizen were both after the same gal," he explained quickly, "one in our territory, an' now one a our guys is dead in front of the place she was in!" As he darted out, Yylfordt was quick to follow, worried now about what could possibly cause two gang leaders to be after the same person, and said person isn't on their shared border, either, but in a whole nother gang's territory. Di Roy followed him, unsure of what to make of this whole ordeal.


	14. Chapter 14

"Looks like it fits ya well," Gin purred, "an' it suits ya so well, too!" Ulquiorra sat in a chair before a mirror, looking now at her own reflection while Gin stood behind her, Gin's hands resting on Ulquiorra's shoulders. Ulquiorra now wore a dark green dress with a collar attached to it and no sleeves. It reaches down to her knees, which is also how high her new black boots reach. Her left leg was sore, but Gin had assured her that they would care for her until she was ready to walk without it hurting. Her right hand wasn't so bad, which she was now wearing black fingerless gloves that reach her elbows on both hands. 

"Thank you, Gin."  
"Now, le's get ya int' yer new room so you can rest."  
"Gin?" Gin looked over her shoulder at the man who now stood there. "Found that wheelchair ya wanted."  
"Oh, good!" As he brought it in, Gin gently moved one of Ulquiorra's arms around her shoulders. "Thought ya might wanna be able t' get around yerself, so I asked fer one a our wheelchairs for ya!" Ulquiorra was surprised at this revelation as she was moved now from the chair into the wheelchair.  
"That's really kind of you, Gin. Thank you." After getting Ulquiorra into her room and then into her bed, Gin was quick to make sure she was comfortable before leaving the room to find Aizen. 

"How is she feeling, Gin?" Gin sat herself in his lap, laying her legs over one of the chair's arms.  
"She's doin' well, bu' her leg's gonna need some time." He gently combed a hand through her hair.  
"We have more than enough people. We can wait." He had failed with Hibiki and waited too long for Asako, but now he had Ulquiorra. She was quite cooperative, it seemed, so this should work out this time.  
"True."  
"And how is my kitsune holding?"  
"Starvin'!" He smirked.  
"As to be expected. It is a good time to be feeding you two, after all."


	15. Chapter 15

When they arrived at the hospital, they were greeted with news of an unexpected power outage. "I was still home when it occurred," Unohana explained to them as they stood in the main entrance area, "but I was swift to leave when I heard news of one patient being unaccounted for after."   
"Was Ulquiorra, wasn't it?" Unohana nodded her agreement.   
"In her current condition, however, I would not have expected her to be capable of getting very far, let alone being able to safely maneuver herself down to the first floor. Just getting to the elevator would have taken quite a bit of effort and pain, let alone even considering the stairs."   
"Someone came an' got her," Grimmjow stated.   
"I must agree that that is indeed the most reasonable scenario, but what makes you so sure that it is indeed what happened?" 

"Well, pretty sure th' dead guy would've won if he'd been against her right now," he replied, "an' not, ya know, dead." Unohana looked toward the nearby crime scene.   
"The officers over there have voiced that they suspect there may or may not be a connection between our power loss and the murder," she admitted, "but I would not have expected Ulquiorra to involve herself in such an act."   
"Nah, she definitely wouldn' have, but chances are th' people who kidnapped 'er wouldn' mind killin' someone while they're at it. Mighta killed 'im t' make sure there weren't any witnesses left t' talk."   
"True..." Unohana gave a small sigh. "It is unfortunate that I shall have to call her home to inform them of such unpleasant news, but such are the rules. Might it be too much to ask of you and your friends here to try to search for my missing patient?" Grimmjow smirked.   
"Nah, we got it! Came over here t' see if she was a'right, anyway!" He looked back at Yylfordt and Di Roy. "I know just where we're gonna start, too!"

* * *

Grimmjow knew better than to charge into Aizen's territory and claim war or attempt a rescue mission with just his gang. Instead, he and the two who were currently following him went in the direction of his buddy's turf, Nnoitra. The two had their quarrels and disagreements, plus they both lead different gangs, but the two could get along and assist one another whenever necessary.   
"'Ey, Nnoitra!" As they stood at the other's base's entrance, Grimmjow gave it another good knocking. "C'mon, asshole! I know ya gotta be in there!" The door opened now to a somewhat-displeased looking Nnoitra. When he recognized the blue-haired male, however, he gave one of his grins.   
"Ah, Grimmjow! Didn't expect t' see _you_ here!"   
"Kinda dealin' with an emergency, actually." Nnoitra frowned.   
"Really, now? What sort of emergency would have the leader of Panteras standing at my door now?" 

"Ya still owe me two favors, Nnoitra! Thought ya might like the sound of bein' able to pay both off in one go?" The grin returned.   
"Oh, is it really that important?" The two leaders didn't like being in debt to anyone, so the idea of a straight out like this was definitely appealing to the absurdly-tall male.   
"A patient at a hospit'l in my turf's gone missin'," he replied, "an' we're all suspectin' kidnappin'."   
"Is this one of your li'l lackies? I thought you didn't mind th' idea of losin' one?"   
"No, I still don't mind. This girl's in a really bad condition, an' one of my guys was murdered durin' her kidnappin'."   
"So, ya lookin' to avenge the fallen, or perhaps win a damsel?" He wasn't pleased by the other's sense of humor majority of the time. Lucky he wasn't on full-pervert mode right now. 

"Possibly both," he replied with a grin, "if I can recruit yer help."   
"For starters, any suspects for who's got her? Think I'd like t' hear why it is this will be lettin' me off two favors instead a one. Sounds too easy right now."   
"Aizen." Nnoitra's eyes widened.   
"Oh, Aizen? My my, that's a big fish t' be messin' with, if any! What has you thinkin' he actually thought this gal would be worth the effort?"   
"A chic from Harribel's turf was found tresspassin' mine on our shared border yesterday an' mentioned that this gal was of interest t' both her boss an' Aizen. The fact that she went missin' this mornin' an' one a my guy's dead points t' him."   
"True, knowing how Harribel's recruitin' tends t' not involve any deaths or blood," Nnoitra admitted. "Clean and safe." Grimmjow knew he was being sexist again with that last bit, but he did his best to ignore it.   
"Well, ya know what ya need t' know 'bout this t' make up yer mind on it. You in?" 

"Oh, definitely! Th' bastard talked Szayel away from me, anyway, so I need t' go there at some point t' get his ass back here an' updatin' the security."   
"Szayel's over there?" Yylfordt definitely didn't want to hear that his younger brother was over there, too.   
"Just recently convinced 'im t' join him," Nnoitra replied, "so yeah, he's over there."   
"Well then," Grimmjow spoke up, "what're we doin' standin' 'round talkin' still? You got a gang t' rally up, Nnoitra, an' so do I!"   
"Where will we meet? Aizen's turf is over between Harribel's an' Coyote's, last I heard, an' I sure's hell ain't about t' ask that woman for a favor!"   
"We'll meet in Coyote's territory, then. I'm sure he won't mind when he's informed of why we're there." While Coyote was indeed leading the gang with the most guns and ammunition, he was also known to be quite lazy, choosing to defend his turf when necessary and doing no more than that. While his territory didn't grow very often land-wise, the member count increased often, along with their supplies. The unusually laid-back attitude of his was what most people attributed the member count increasing to, along with the unbelievably precise aim of Coyote's.   
"Don't think he'll give two shits 'bout it unless we attack someone while there," Nnoitra mused, "so that sounds fine t' me." 

"We won't be able to head out today, Boss." Tesla, Nnoitra's right-hand man, spoke from behind him. "We have too many elsewhere right now." Nnoitra seemed displeased at this news, looking now over his shoulder at him.   
"Will t'morrow work, then?" Tesla nodded. "Grimmjow, can ya wait that long? I'll be goin' in with less manpower than I'd want to otherwise."   
"Fine. We'll meet on the Lobos border of Coyote's turf tomorrow, then." Grimmjow looked back at Yylfordt and Di Roy. "Let's head back an' let everyone else know what's happenin'."


	16. Chapter 16

"Yer eatin' like yer starved." Gin smirked. "Seems ya got an' appetite like what mine's been fer the past month." Ulquiorra looked up from her now-empty plate to look at the other woman.   
"If I may ask, is there any special reason yours has been so for the past month?" She watched as Gin placed a hand onto her stomach. It was still small enough to not be obvious, but she knew that was to be expected when you're only a month in.   
"Carryin'," she replied, "though we don' know yet how many 'r if there's a boy 'r a girl. Will probably be kept 'ere 'til they're out soon. Barely bein' let outta here right now, even, but I get why." Ulquiorra was surprised, but, then again, the other's current outfit did fit her loosely. "Pretty sure th' dad's wantin' a boy, so I'm hopin' fer one, too." 

"Who's the father?"   
"The very same man who brought ya here," she replied somewhat proudly, "Sousuke. We're engaged, too, bu' we haven't been able t' get a weddin' figured out just yet."   
"Congratulations, Gin."   
"Thank ya." Gin now reached over and recieved the plate from her. "I'll get this t' the kitchen an' be back soon." After she left, she made sure to leave the plate in the small pile of currently-dirty dishes before going to find Sousuke. "Sousuke?" Aizen looked over from the man he had been speaking to, which was one of the gang members who regularly did patrols. 

"Yes, dear?" Understanding the unspoken instruction, the gang member excused himself before leaving the room quickly.   
"Ya know, ya never told me why we picked th' gal up from the Panteras' territ'ry. Somethin' special 'bout 'er, or were ya jus' wantin' t' get t' Harribel?" Gin knew he knew about Harribel's interest in rescuing the girl when he had decided to get her.   
"There is indeed something special about her," he replied, "something which I could have also gotten from her older brother or younger sister, but it seems they are out of the question, considering both have been deceased for some time now." Gin nodded.   
"What 'xactly is it, though?" Sousuke walked over to her and stepped himself behind her before bringing her against him. 

"It is nothing to concern yourself over, Gin." He rested his head on hers, closing his eyes while taking in her scent. She smelled so much like marigolds... He knew they were her favorite flower, so he had a few in their room for her, which she happily tended to them.   
"When ya say tha', it does worry me a bit." She felt his arms go from around her arms to gently placing his hands onto her stomach. "Yer usually real op'n 'bout everythin' with me, but ya seem t' be unwillin' t' tell me 'bout this."   
"If it is concerning you so, then I can tell you. It isn't something I have to keep secret from you." He didn't want her to be stressing herself over it, especially since she was pregnant. "You see, there's a whole nother world to this one, but getting there has a tricky part to it, plus no normal human being can just simply go there." 

"Really, now?"   
"I have seen people leave this world several times, yet would sometimes see them again in this one on another occasion. Hibiki had also admitted to seeing them as well, and his younger sisters had proven to be able to as well, though Ulquiorra was reluctant to acknowledge their presence at all, from what he had told me, while Asako was much too young to truly comprehend that she was seeing people others can't."   
"This sounds crazy," Gin admitted, "but I'm 'k with it." Didn't sound too bad, after all. "What does this have t' do with takin' Ulquiorra in, though?" 

"Her brother was able to travel the worlds as well," he replied, "just like those people I mentioned. You have to completely leave your body to do so, which isn't easy to do to begin with, but the path there is a dangerous one for those without a certain butterfly, to add to the challenge. He had one, which, according to what I heard, was passed down to his sister Ulquiorra. To be able to travel the two worlds like that with such ease..."   
"Sounds amazin'."   
"Yes, but it is something I currently cannot do myself, since I am without said butterfly." At least, not anymore could he do this. "If it is true that Ulquiorra is now the owner of it, then her joining us can lead to access to this other world." 

"That sounds really neat," Gin admitted, "but wouldn' it be a bad idea fer me t' try an' follow ya? Sounds like somethin' not t' do while pregnant."   
"I would have to agree, which is why I wasn't quick to explain this to you to begin with. I do not plan to leave forever, but I also don't want you to be tempted in any way to try this for yourself while you are like this. It is much like temporarily dying, after all."   
"I won't."   
"I'm very glad to hear this, Gin."


	17. Chapter 17

"So, everyone get what's up?" Shouts of agreement and excitement roared up from those who were now ready for a fight under the leadership of the blue-haired male before them. He had just given everyone present a reminder of today's event, that they were meeting up with Nnoitra and his gang to take on Lobos. Because not all gangs were going to be somehow involved in this, he had made sure that there would still be people on each of the borders, just in case. 

As they left, there were no pedestrians to be seen, as the time was about two in the morning, before the early risers and after the late-to-bed. Most of the members slipped between buildings while others leaped from rooftop to rooftop, keeping their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. Grimmjow, Yylfordt, and Shawlong led those on the rooftops while Edrad, Di Roy, and Nakeem led those who were on the ground's level.  
"Does Nnoitra know we're going to be there so early?" Grimmjow grinned at Yylfordt's question.  
"Yeah, but I ain't gonna hold my breath thinkin' he'll get there when we do! Would be nice to think he might actually get t' the meetin' spot b'fore us, but I'm doubtin' that ev'n more!" Nnoitra was one to look forward to fights, but he was also not one to look forward to having to go so far so early just to have one. Grimmjow was just eager to even the score with Aizen and get Ulquiorra back. "Besides, his territory's closer t' Coyote's than ours, so chances are he'll take full advantage a that!"  
"Hope you're wrong about this, Boss." Yylfordt wasn't wanting to get there just to have to wait around for several hours for Nnoitra's gang, especially since they'll be on someone else's turf.

* * *

"Where are they goin' 'n such a hurry?" She wanted to go back to bed, but Gin also didn't want to miss whatever it was that had Aizen up and about already.  
"It seems two other bosses were discovered to have been conversing yesterday about the possibility of paying us an unpleasant visit by one of the patrol." Gin looked over at Kaname curiously. "No surprise one's Nnoitra, and Grimmjow's part in it was expected by Aizen, especially after what we had to do in order to fetch Ulquiorra." Ever since he had joined Lobos, Kaname had become quite informed about their activities, along with being good at picking things up on his own, despite his being blind. Gin assumed this was due to the heightening of his other senses because of the lack of sight.  
"Guessin' they're gonna go try an' meet 'em first, then." Gin turned and left toward Ulquiorra's room, knowing her fiancee was probably going to be strongly against her partaking in this. Will probably want Ulquiorra to stay out of it, too. 

When she got to the younger girl's room, Gin opened it to find the other's emerald eyes watching her now. "Gin, what's going on? It sounds like a good number of people are hurrying off somewhere."  
"Nothin' fer us t' worry over." Gin went to sit on the edge of the bed, beside Ulquiorra. "Ya sleep well?"  
"Yes, I did." She looked back at the door again. "It's still two-thirty in the morning, isn't it?"  
"Yeah, it is," she agreed, "bu' somethin' came up, so we've gotta have some people goin' out t' handle that." To their surprise, someone knocked at the door. Gin stood herself up and walked over to open it. "Hm?" 

"Was told t' give this t' her," the female before her spoke, "an' tell ya both t' go t' the basement." Gin looked down now at the small gun the girl was holding.  
"Ya expect 'er t' use that?" As far as Gin was concerned, the girl sitting in the bed had probably never even touched a gun before, let alone even considered using one!  
"Well, you could take it," the girl replied with a shrug, "an' then it'll be with 'er, in a way. I don' care." Gin looked back at Ulquiorra before returning her eyes to the other female.  
"If you could wait 'til after I get 'er t' the basement, I'll make sure t' get that from ya."  
"'k. I'll be waitin' fer ya in the kitchen." After she left, Gin made her way back to the bed. 

"What was that about, Gin?"  
"Jus' wantin' us t' go t' the basement as a precaution, is all."  
"Does this have something to do with why so many were leaving somewhere?"  
"Maybe." So long as she feigned ignorance to what was going on, Gin didn't have to explain too much to her. After all, the girl who had just been at the door didn't say why, so Gin wasn't _obviously_ lying.


	18. Chapter 18

Grimmjow, Shawlong, and Yylfordt were all quick to stop when they heard a gunshot ring out nearby. "Get down!" At Grimmjow's order, most of those on roofs got themselves down to the ground quickly. Those remaining were with guns and now ducking down where they were. Grimmjow himself had jumped down to head in the direction from where it came from while Shawlong and Yyflordt stayed on rooftops as they followed nearby, all three moving cautiously.   
Grimmjow was relieved he had gone over what to do in case something like this happened, but he was still not happy to have to deal with it. Not only did this mean that he would have less guys with him when he and Nnoitra took on Lobos, but this also meant there was a possibility that Aizen already knew what was coming, which was the last thing they needed. Grimmjow flicked out his switchblade before he glanced out around a corner, readying himself in case the shooter was a foe and was there. To his dismay, he only spotted a dead guy with the Panteras symbol on a black armband on his upper arm. 

When the next gunshot rang out, Grimmjow was quick to move, eager to catch whoever it was that was shooting at his gang. When a couple shots rang out after it and from the same direction, he began to wonder if perhaps the shooter had met two of his, or if it was two enemy shooters and only one of his own. Hell, could've been two enemies who did all three of those shots, as far as he knew.   
"Grimm!" When he heard Yylfordt's shout, he was quick to hault, glancing over his shoulder to spot the garbage bin he had passed before running over to it. Another shot rang out. 

Yylfordt was indeed armed, but had he just taken a shot at whoever it was shooting? A responding shot rang out, then two more. "Granz!" Grimmjow was on a roof just as Shawlong had yelled to the other. When the blue-haired male got himself over there, he swiftly leaped down into the alleyway the gunshots had come from, spotting the two Lobos members before quickly making chase. One seemed to have taken a shot to his left arm while the other seemed fine.   
When the uninjured one caught on that they were being pursued, he tried aiming over his shoulder to shoot at the Panteras leader, but Grimmjow was quick to use his switchblade to deflect the bullet. "What the!?" Clearly the guy hadn't expected that to be possible. Grimmjow grinned. 

"Ya ain't gettin' away from me alive, ya bastards!" Hearing this, a nearby Panteras member shot in front of the two Lobos guys, startling them enough to cause them to stop. Grimmjow was quick to take advantage of this, first flinging his switchblade at the one who had tried to shoot him before sidestepping out of the attempted fearful shot from the other. He closed what little distance was left between them now and threw a punch at the guy's throat, flinging him backwards with ease.   
"Boss, ya fergit yer gun?" Grimmjow looked up at the girl standing on the nearby roof with one of his grins.   
"Nah, I got it with me! Just didn' need it!" She gave a laugh to this while Grimmjow removed the switchblade from the first guy's forehead. Definitely dead. "Looks like the two a them are from Lobos, so we best be more careful on our way there from here on out!"   
"Gotcha!" After she walked out of sight, Grimmjow went back to the end of the alley where he had started the chase and glanced around. 

"Yylfordt? Shawlong! Ya a'right?"   
"I am," Shawlong called from an adjacent alley, "but Yylfordt was hit by one." Grimmjow followed his voice into that alley to find Shawlong pressing on Yylfordt's lower right side of his abdomen while the other was lying on his back on the ground. Yylfordt's white shirt under his black jacket was stained a deep crimson there. Grimmjow felt a fire in his stomach at this sight, but he did his best not to lose his grip.   
"I'm... I'm sorry, Boss." Grimmjow didn't want to hear this coming from the blonde's mouth, of all people.   
"Ain't like ya asked 'em t' shoot at ya," he retorted bitterly. "Got nothin' t' be apologizin' t' me 'bout." 

"I don't think it would be wise to move him, Boss." Grimmjow was quick to return his gaze to Shawlong. "He won't be able to come with us." This did it for him.   
" _Dammit!_ " Grimmjow punched the wall he was standing near with enough force to take some out of it, startling Shawlong a bit. "We can't move 'im, an' he can't come with us, then what the hell are we s'pposed t' do with him!? I won't just leave Yylfordt here, Shawlong!"   
"I would not do that to him either, Boss. We could have someone stay with him," he suggested, "and have them call the hospital for assistance for him. If anyone asks, someone shot him, and that's that. We don't have to say we know any more than that." 

"I'll get Yuna t' come 'ere an' stay behind with 'im, then. I can't have you stayin' behind, too, after all." Was bad enough Yylfordt was shot and unable to come. He didn't need two of his best five staying back.


	19. Chapter 19

"Someone could live down here." Ulquiorra now rested in a bed that was in the basement, which the basement was big enough for four buses, if parked so that it was as if the first two were stopped at a traffic light while the other two were each behind one of the front ones, plus a bit of space to walk between them. One of the longer walls was lined with shelves of food, and a freezer and fridge stood beside one another on the shorter wall that wasn't with the stairs. There were four beds that're each big enough for two people, which Ulquiorra was now lying in one of them while Gin sat beside her. 

"That's th' idea," she replied with a smile. There was even a television on the other longer wall that has a DVD player and a gaming console, plus a desktop computer. Opposite of the fridge and freezer sat a clothes washer and dryer, plus a rack of dishes by the fridge and a door that leads to a bathroom. "Basements tend t' be pretty safe t' live in, 'specially durin' storms 'n such." Also good fer havin' people hide in durin' a gang war, Gin added mentally, 'specially if it's entered through a door hidden under a rug in plain sight. 

"True." Ulquiorra looked toward the wheelchair that now sat beside the bed. "Gin, might it be alright to ask for a bit of assistance with this?" She felt a bit embarrassed about this, but she wanted to look around the basement, not lie in bed all day. Besides, she wasn't feeling tired, anyway. "I... I am still a bit unsure about doing this myself." Gin stood herself up and carefully helped the other. 

"It's fine, no worries. Better th'n gettin' t' tell me ya've got lots a practice with this."   
"Definitely not." The other smirked at this.   
"Good t' hear."   
"Gin?" Gin looked over her shoulder now at the woman from before. Gin already got the gun and had it safely hidden away in a bag she brought down with her and had under a bed, so what was it that she had come down about now?   
"Yes?" 

"Tiburón." This was unexpected.   
"'k." After she went back upstairs, Gin brought a hand to her forehead with an internal sigh. This definitely isn't good...   
"What did she mean by shark?" Gin looked over her shoulder at Ulquiorra, surprised to learn she had understood that.   
"Ya speak Spanish, Ulquiorra?"   
"I know three languages," she admitted while looking away now. "English, Japanese, and Spanish..."   
"Ah, th' three tongues a this area." Ironic that she would know them. "Takes some talent t' learn two aft'r yer first language, 'specially Japanese or Chinese." 

"My mother is from Japan, so she taught me and Hibiki Japanese. Spanish was school taught, along with assistance from Hibiki."   
"Th' two a ya were close, it seems."   
"Yes. He was like a second father to me, and I always looked up to him." Gin walked over to stand beside the wheelchair and place a hand on Ulquiorra's shoulder. "He was such a good person, Gin... Got along with everyone, it seemed, and the only times I ever remember him ever getting mad were when someone was mean to me."   
"Sounds like he was a good brother t' ya." 

"I just wish it hadn't been him in that accident..."   
"Bad things happen t' good people, Ulquiorra, whether we like it er not."   
"Things would have been better if it hadn't."   
"Wouldn' have been better fer you to've been th' one who died, either." Ulquiorra looked up at her, surprised at this. Had she known what she was about to say? "Ya think yer brother would've taken it too well? I'm sure yer parents still wouldn't 'ave. He's gone, an' tha's just how it happened. Ya can't go an' blame yerself fer it or go on hatin' life fer it." 

Shouting could now be heard from above them. "Gin, what's going on now?"   
"Dunno, but it might be best t' stay quiet fer a bit."


	20. Chapter 20

Grimmjow walked silently into the area agreed upon as the meeting place. No one else was there now but him and his gang. "Looks like we're waitin' on Nnoitra an' his guys," Di Roy commented before sitting himself down against a wall. "May as well get comfy."  
"Ya do that," Grimmjow remarked, "an' when he does get 'ere, he'll probably end up scarin' ya shitless." He was still concerned about Yylfordt, but he knew he had to keep that to himself for now. The leader of Panteras could not be lingering on any single member's injury when he's leading the gang into battle. 

"Be best not t' get too cozy, then." Edrad smirked. "Don' need ya making a mess outta yourself before we even get t' Lobos territory, Roy."  
"Screw you." Di Roy stood himself back up again anyway with a sigh. "Why couldn' we jus' see if Tiburón would help? Harribel's th' one who seemed t' be interested in this chic, too, after all, an' I bet she woulda been 'ere already, too."  
"Because," Grimmjow retorted, "she'd want t' take Ulquiorra back with her, not let us take 'er back t' our turf."  
"Don't see why tha's such a bad thing, Boss, no offense." 

"He did tell you someone trespassed int' yer turf wearin' their gang symbol over this, didn't he?" The Panteras members were quick to look toward the now-arriving Nnoitra. "To just let Harribel take 'er after that would be quite a shot t' your gang's rep after that." Nnoitra's members were now looking around at the Panteras with curiosity and recognition, as the two gangs had worked together before. While the Panteras wore a blue panther somewhere on them, Nnoitra's Cuchillas wore a yellow praying mantis somewhere on them, their gang's symbol. 

"Did Yylfordt remain in your territory, Grimmjow?" Tesla wouldn't have blamed him if he did, knowing how his younger brother could possibly end up showing up to assist the opposing side of this, but it would still have been best that the other blonde be present for this, too.  
"We got jumped by some Lobos on th' way 'ere." At this, Nnoitra gave a dissatisfied frown.  
"We had a run-in with a few a them, too," the tall man replied, "so I guess this means Aizen really _did_ catch ont' us. Probably expectin' us."  
"Ya lose anyone?"  
"Eh, a few." Nnoitra shrugged. "Not too many. Yylfordt didn't get killed, did he?"  
"No, but I did lose a few, too. Yylfordt took a shot, however, so had to leave him behind with one a my others." 

"Well, that bites. Seems we both still got a good amount a people, so we may as well go." He grinned. "After all, he's expectin' us some time t'day." Grimmjow gave an eager grin in return.  
"Yeah," he mused, "wouldn' wanna keep 'im waitin' too long."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Cuchilla" is "blade" or "knife" in Spanish.  
> Not blade like sword, as that is espada.


	21. Chapter 21

"The hell..?" As the two gangs walked together, they arrived to the scene of a fight now over. Di Roy glanced around as they walked. "Jeez, we missed somethin'..."  
"Tiburón." Grimmjow knelt beside one of the women and lifted her limp right arm to draw further attention to the black armband with a yellow shark on it. "Harribel must've decided she was gonna try t' get Ulquiorra," he muttered, "an' picked a fight with Lobos." 

" _Great_." Nnoitra was far from wanting to see the female gang leader, let alone possibly have to _save_ her, too. "Bitch better be good an' gone," he remarked sourly, "'cause I sure 's hell ain't about ta save _her_ sorry ass." No one was about to ask if he meant she better be dead or back on her own turf, as everyone was sure he'd want either or, just as long as he didn't have to interact with her in the end.  
"Just so long 's you don't run off before we're done here," Grimmjow spoke, "I don't care." 

"Nice of you to finally join us." The two gang leaders now looked to see Kaname standing at the door to the Lobos base. To his right stood Yammy, another ex-gang leader, and to his left was one of the other Lobos members.  
" _What_ , ya knew we were comin'," Nnoitra complained, "an' yet Szayel decided he was still going t' skip out on this?"  
"You know as well as I do," Kaname replied, "that he is more inclined to deal with the technology of the gang, not the fights." 

"Where's Ulquiorra?" Grimmjow stepped forward, ready to fight if he had to. "We came t' take her home."  
"You came _all this way_ ," Yammy jeered, " _just_ t' take some girl _back home_? Hah! Like the leader of Panteras would really go so far out of his way t' do _that_!" 

"We were ordered to keep you out, Jeagerjaques," Kaname spoke, "and the same goes for the rest of your gang and the Cuchillas." As he spoke, the male to his left pulled out a small gun. "We were ordered to do whatever we deem necessary to do this, so killing you is indeed an option. Her whereabouts are none of your concern." A good number of Lobos now began to emerge from where they were hiding around the area, with some stepping out of the base as well. "This is your only chance to run, Panteras, Cuchillas. I would suggest you take it while you can, before we decide to give you the same treatment as we did the Tiburón who came here for her before you." 

"Like _hell_ am I leavin' now," Grimmjow replied with a grin, "an' like _hell_ are we goin' down t' _you_!" At this, his gang members were quick to draw out their own weapons, whether they were guns or knives, with hollers and shouts, while the Cuchillas members were quick to do the same. "We are Panteras," he shouted, "not some _cowardly household gatos_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "gatos" means "cats" in Spanish.


	22. Chapter 22

"Grimmjow?" How keen the young girl's ears are surprised Gin as she watched the brunette look toward the door back upstairs. "Why is he here?" Why were there so many people out there yelling? It was horrifying enough to have heard all the shooting and voices shouting and screaming earlier, but now this?   
"Couldn' really tell ya that fer definite," Gin replied with a shrug, "but it's best we stay here, Ulquiorra." Fear gripped Ulquiorra as she considered the shooting she had heard earlier. Was Grimmjow going to get himself killed? Was he here now because of her? 

"No, not me." She forced herself to stand, taking in a sharp breath as she felt the pain consume her leg.   
"Ulquiorra-!"   
"Whatever is happening is because of me, isn't it?" Gin wasn't sure what to say to this, but it didn't seem to matter now; Ulquiorra knew she was correct. "I thought coming here would stop people from being hurt because of me, not get people killed!" 

"Sit back down, Ulquiorra." As Ulquiorra looked away from the other woman, she took a step away from the wheelchair and toward the door.   
It was soon after this step that she heard a gun click, readying itself to shoot. "Sit back down, Ulquiorra." She looked slowly over her shoulder to see that the other woman was now pointing a gun at her.   
"Gin?"   
"I'm s'posed t' be watchin' over ya," she said calmly, "an' makin' sure ya recover proper from yer injuries. Can't do that if yer decidin' t' go out int' a gun fight."   
"You..." She wasn't sure what to do now, her thoughts fuzzing as she tried to consider so many things about this. "You know what's happening, don't you?"   
"Have th' whole time. Now, sit back down so I don' have t' hurt ya." 

"No." Gin's eyes widened. She had threatened so many before Ulquiorra and killed with ease, yet this girl was the first to refuse a death threat. Did she think Gin was kidding?   
"I do mean it, Ulquiorra."   
"Then do it. Shoot me." Ulquiorra seemed to have made up her mind as she slowly turned to face Gin. "I have no reason to go on, and I will not do as you say. I have only caused others pain, so perhaps this would be doing everyone a favor." 

"I ain't gonna kill ya, jus'..." Gin wasn't quite sure what to do now. This girl really _did_ seem to want to die. Her emerald eyes were focused on Gin, showing no fear or doubt as she seemed to wait for a bullet to come.   
"Do it."


	23. Chapter 23

Di Roy gave a sigh as he leaned against the back wall of the Lobos base, grateful that he had even gotten this far with only a few cuts. He got himself down onto the ground and started making his way over to the nearest window, hoping to simply take a quick peek into it to see if he couldn't get into the building from the back safely. 

Aizen and Gin were definitely going to be his biggest concern, since they weren't out in the big fight in the front. Szayel could be a problem, too, especially if Di Roy was decided to be a potential concern to him. If he could just figure out where those three are, then it shouldn't be so bad getting inside safely. 

Grimmjow had told him specifically to do this, though Yylfordt was originally supposed to accompany him in the break-in. While everyone was wrapped up in the fight, Di Roy was to go around to the back to see about another entrance to the base so that he could get in without making too much noise and get Ulquiorra out. 

He wasn't quite sure who this chic is, but chances are she would stand out. Grimmjow would've done this himself if it weren't for the fact that Lobos would definitely be watching for his face in the fight, making them more likely to notice it if he were to vanish from it as opposed to if Di Roy or one of his other gang members decided to leave it.   
If only he had remembered to ask about a description. There was a chance Lobos had her wearing their symbol, for all any of them knew, so then she'd be harder to spot among the Lobos members, but there was also still the chance that she was just wearing clothes without the brown wolf on them anywhere. 

Either way, this wasn't a task he was eager for, but at least if he got this done they could get the hell outta here.   
This girl was the only reason they were here, after all.


	24. Chapter 24

Ulquiorra looked around the kitchen cautiously from under the barely-lifted carpet that was set over the entrance to the basement before she pulled herself up and into the kitchen. It was an agonizing task to be moving about like this, but it was better than staying down there knowing people were dying and being injured because of her. 

All this movement had agitated her leg wound and reopened it slightly already, causing the wrappings to now have a crimson red to them, but her new dress and boots hid that, for the most part. She sat on the carpet for a moment to try to calm herself, taking deep breaths while keeping her left leg completely still. 

She knew she couldn't wait here too long, however, as Gin had admitted that it was Sousuke who wanted her to be kept here, whether Ulquiorra likes it or not, and he would do whatever was necessary to keep her here. She felt like she could trust the other woman, even if she did point a gun at her, as she did take pretty good care of her before that, plus she also ended up giving the gun to her and let her go.   
It was odd to have a gun with her. Gin had allowed for her to take a holder for it that strapped on around the leg, so it now sat on her right thigh, out of sight. 

As she stood herself back up, she clenched her fists tightly while resisting the urge to cry out in pain. She only knew of the front entrance when it came to a way out, so she began to walk toward that cautiously, watching for anyone who might try to stop her while she listened to the sound of yelling and gunshots from outside. 

"Going somewhere, princess?" She looked over her shoulder to see a man with yellow eyes and pink hair watching her now, his expression seeming somewhat amused. Ulquiorra had no idea who he was, but she knew it would be best to get away from him and not wait for him to try to stop her. It was possibly the worst idea for her leg, but Ulquiorra forced herself to run, aiming to get away from this man and out the front door as soon as she could. "Come now, princess, surely that isn't something you want to do!" 

When she heard what sounded like glass shattering, she looked back to see that a guy had just busted through a window from the back and was now pinning the pink-haired man down. "Keep runnin', Ulquiorra!"   
"Get off of me!" Ulquiorra ran, not wanting to wait to see what happened next. Adrenaline had kicked in now, and she knew she needed to take advantage of it while it lasted. 

Just as she was almost to the door, she stopped to see the leader of Lobos himself, his brown eyes on her now as he stood at the door. "Why are you up and running around, Ulquiorra? Surely that isn't good for your leg?"   
"I'm leaving now." He gave a disappointed frown to this.   
"While that fight is going on out there? It would be best that you waited it out in the basement with Gin, Ulquiorra, where it's safe." When she took a step back and away from him, she noticed a window to her right through the corner of her eye. It had a dark navy curtain closed over it, but it was definitely there. 

It was either run and hope this man didn't catch her, do as he says, or go out through the window and see if she didn't die in the process. With her leg as it is, chances are the running option would fail miserably, and she wasn't about to turn back when she had already made it this far.


	25. Chapter 25

"This is definitely _not_ turnin' out 'n our favor!" Nnoitra definitely sounded pissed. Grimmjow, however, didn't care. He was good enough with his knives he had brought that he hadn't taken much injury at all, hadn't taken out his gun yet, plus he had been able to take out several Lobos. The main issue was that their gang members weren't holding so well, however, with the less experienced ones going down like flies while the ones with experience still struggled. 

The Lobos had earned both their reputation of being ruthless and without remorse in battle and their name. "Too late t' just run fer it, ya know!" Or it at least wasn't a good idea as of this moment.   
" _I damned well know that_!" Nnoitra was doing fine, too, but he was a worse sore loser than Grimmjow, being annoyed more easily about losing too many of his gang members. "Ain't like I was _wantin'_ t' run when I said that, anyway!"   
"Then _why'd_ ya say it, huh!?"   
"T' make sure _your_ crazy ass knows that this ain't goin' well fer our numbers!" 

Just as Grimmjow was about to snap at him again, he heard glass shattering like someone had just thrown a chair threw it, not like a bullet had just pierced it. He looked over toward the Lobos base to spot Ulquiorra lying by it, glass shards in and around her as she painfully started to try to get herself up onto her hands and knees. She was wearing a dark green dress with no sleeves and a collar attached to it along with black fingerless gloves and black boots, a completely different outfit than the last time he had seen her.   
"Ulquiorra!" Grimmjow was swift to take down the nearest Lobos before starting his run to her, hoping to get to her before anyone else. When she heard her name, Ulquiorra looked toward Grimmjow with a sudden feeling of relief, glad that the blue-haired man was still alive. 

When she heard the front door of the base open, however, the relief was replaced with fear. "Grimmjow!" She tried to stand, but the pain was too much, leaving her on her knees as she let a small whimper escape her throat. When Grimmjow saw Aizen at the door of the base, he was quick to pull out a smaller knife from his jacket and throw it toward the other male as he continued to run, hoping to hit the other and possibly get him to flinch, to take a moment to pause. 

Aizen, however, caught the knife between two fingers with ease. "Seems your aim is still good," he remarked before throwing it back at the Panteras leader. Grimmjow used one of his knives he was still holding to deflect that one. "As are your reflexes," he observed, "but could still use improvement, given you're still unwilling- or perhaps unable- to catch instead of deflect."   
"Leave her _alone_ , Aizen!" She was like a scared, injured kitten as she remained on her hands and right knee, a light tremble in her as she watched the brown-haired male walking toward her now. 

For once, she didn't want to die. She wanted to be with Grimmjow, but not here. Not with this man. She felt she got along with Gin, but she could only feel fear now toward this man.   
"She requested to be here," Aizen replied calmly, "and so she has decided her own fate."   
"I've changed my mind," she spoke shakily, "I've changed it! I was wrong! I don't want to be here anymore!" Just as Grimmjow was about to grab one of her arms, he felt an elbow shove into his chest with enough force to knock the breath out of him, along with send him backward. " _Grimmjow!_ " 

"Perhaps you shall realize how wrong you are now," the Lobos leader decided, "if I remove this man from your consideration."   
" _No!_ " As Grimmjow began to stand himself back up, he tried to think of just what he could possibly do now. Taking his gun out to use would take too long, and it seems throwing knives was still not going to work, just like last time. Ulquiorra would be trapped here if he didn't do something, however. Someone's life was on the line this time, someone he found himself caring for, for once, who wasn't himself.   
"For her sake, I shall make killing you as swift as I can, pantera." 

"Leave him alone!" When Grimmjow looked over at her, he was surprised to see her pointing a gun at Aizen. Aizen was now only a couple feet away from her, still a ways away from Grimmjow.   
"Do you honestly intend to shoot me, Ulquiorra?" Aizen turned to face her now. "To shoot the one who took you from that hospital and has been caring for you since?"   
"You have not been-"   
"To shoot the father of Gin's child?" Grimmjow's eyes widened at this revelation. The prior leader of Kitsune was pregnant? He was informed the two were together, but she was _pregnant_? This reminder seemed to bring Ulquiorra into a flustered state, yet she was still pointing a shaking gun at Lobos' leader. "Surely you wouldn't want to kill me and leave her to care for it on her own?" 

Grimmjow clenched his hands into tight fists. He's hiding behind Gin and her pregnancy now, of all the rotten things to do! "Don't listen to 'im, Ulquiorra!"   
"Now, would you really want to do that?"   
" _Ulquiorra!_ "


	26. Chapter 26

When she closed her eyes, she heard a gunshot ring through her ears, its sound loud and sudden, startling her. 

She had done it. She had pulled the trigger. 

But Ulquiorra had not killed Aizen, only having shot one of his legs, causing a vicious yell of agony and rage to erupt from him. Her emerald eyes widened in fear as she tried once more to stand, wanting to get away from him as quickly as possible. However, her attempt was in vain, leading to her falling onto her left side and into more of the glass shards. She could feel pain searing through her whole body from it all, causing her to cry out. 

"Ulquiorra!" Grimmjow ran to her, hoping he could get her out of that mess safely before she tried again to get out of it herself. When he got to her, he was quick to scoop her up in his arms and run, aiming to get them both away from here. " _Nnoitra,_ call yer gang back!" His yell was as loud as he could get it, hoping to get the hint out to as many as possible that they were leaving now. "Got 'er!" 

His yell got through to more than just the Panteras and Cuchillias. " _Stop him_ ," he heard Kaname shout out, "but _do not_ hurt the girl he's carrying!"   
"Grimmjow." Ulquiorra sounded like she was still recovering from the shock of having just shot someone for her first time.   
"It's alright," he said softly, hoping to help her calm down, "you're gonna be fine, an' so am I, Ulquiorra. We'll both get outta here alive."

* * *

"Never. Again." Nnoitra was still surprised they had all ran from Lobos' turf to his own like they had, but they did it. "I don't care _how_ deep in debt t' you I am," he huffed, "just, _never_."   
"Like yer gonna remember that," Grimmjow panted back, "by th' time this, this sorta thing happens again, if ever." He sure hoped it didn't. 

"Just keep that gal outta trouble," he remarked, "so we don't gotta save 'er again." Grimmjow looked down at her now. He was still holding Ulquiorra in his arms, and she had definitely passed out at some point during that run, but she was still alive and breathing.   
"Gonna start headin' back t' my turf, get her back int' the hospital."   
"Hope she doesn't get swept away from there again, then. I ain't up fer this kinda shit becomin' a daily, weekly, _anythin'_ -ly thing."


	27. Chapter 27

_"Can you say 'good morning big brother'?"_  
_"Hai! Ohayou Nii-sama!"_  
_"Very good, Ulquiorra!" The small girl smiled wide at him. "At this rate, you'll be speaking Japanese just as well as Haha!"_  
_"Really?"_  
_"Definitely! Nihongo o hanasu no ga jouzudesune!" She laughed, delighted to hear this._  
_"Arigatou Hibiki!"_

"Ulquiorra?" She opened her eyes halfway to see Grimmjow sitting beside her, watching her while she lay in a hospital bed. "How ya feelin'?"  
"Tired." He smirked.  
"Guessin' ya aren't in much a any pain, then." After jumping through a window, she had ended up pretty well-wrapped now.  
"No, not right now." She gave a small yawn before looking around to remind herself of what had happened before now, trying to recall just how she even got here. 

"Ya look a li'l lost."  
"A bit," she admitted.  
"I brought ya back here so they could fix ya up an' finish carin' for ya." She furrowed her eye brows as she tried to remember this, her eyes closed as she tried to make something out of this. "You passed out on th' way here," he admitted, "so I don' think yer gonna remember that... I was runnin' while carryin' ya when you were last awake." Her eyes widened before she looked back at him again. 

"What happened with that gun?" She felt her stomach churn uncomfortably as she remembered it, remembered the cold metal and the sound it made as it shot.  
"'Ey, relax. I made sure t' 'ave someone bring it back t' base, so no one saw ya with it that shouldn't 'ave."  
"Wait, 'base'? What?" Grimmjow brought a hand to the back of his neck. Shit, seems Lobos didn't explain it to her already...  
"I'm the leader of the town gang," he admitted, "Panteras, just like how Aizen's leader of Lobos, an' there are others, too."  
"So I was just brought back from being kidnapped by a gang," she thought aloud, "and then rescued by another one?"  
"Pretty much." She wasn't sure what to make of this, but it was still better she was here with him now than back with Lobos. 

"Thank you." He smirked.  
"Eh, was nothin'!" She didn't seem to like this reply.  
"You were almost killed, Grimmjow, while others _were_ killed. Pretty sure I even nearly died, even nearly _killed_ someone, yet you claim it was nothing?"  
"'k, so it wasn't. What d' ya want me t' say?" She gave a light sigh.  
"Be honest with me, Grimmjow. Was this all really worth all that effort for you and your gang? I'm not even part of it, to add to it all." Grimmjow took her hand in his quickly before he answered. 

"Yes, it was! It was worth it!" She was surprised to hear him sound so certain of this.  
"Why..?"  
"Because, Ulquiorra, I love ya!" After what he had gone through for her yesterday, he wasn't about to go without telling her. "If I had to, I'd do it all again for ya! I'd go t' hell an' back if I had to!"  
"You... You mean it?"  
"Shit, yes!" She carefully lifted her left hand, the one he wasn't holding, to lay it on his cheek while her emerald eyes met his deep blue ones. 

"I... I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stop myself here, before I end up adding another several chapters. Will start on a sequel to this soon enough, and I hope you enjoyed this! 
> 
> "Hai! Ohayou Nii-sama!" is "Yes! Good morning older brother!" in Romanji in Japanese.  
> "Haha" is "mother" in Romanji in Japanese, but is specifically used only when referring to one's own mother.  
> "Nihongo o hanasu no ga jouzudesune!" is to say that one is skilled at speaking Japanese, with the implication of who is coming from the context (as there is nothing in this statement to specify). It's also in Romanji in Japanese.  
> As I'm sure most already know, "arigatou" is "thank you" in Romanji in Japanese.


End file.
